India captain Shubman Gill gave the team management a fitness scare on the eve of the West Indies series, taking a sharp blow to his right elbow off a rising delivery from Mohammed Siraj during a practice session in Thiruvananthapuram. Gill needed on-field treatment for close to 20 minutes before he was able to return to the nets and face throwdowns, but batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has since confirmed there is no lasting concern.
The blow came during a routine net session ahead of the three-match ODI series opener at the Greenfield International Stadium on September 27. Siraj's delivery got big on Gill quickly, catching him high on the arm. The India captain went down and was attended to by the support staff for an extended period — long enough to raise questions about his availability for the opener — before resuming his session with throwdowns rather than facing the bowling machine or quicks again.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Kotak put the matter to rest directly: "I think he is fine and good to go." The confirmation clears the way for Gill to lead India as scheduled in the opener, with the toss set for 1:30 PM IST and the match starting at 2 PM.
A scare of this kind carries extra weight because of who it involves and when it happened. Gill is not just captaining the side but also returning to a ground where he made 116 in India's record 317-run ODI win over Sri Lanka in January 2023, batting at the top of an order that also brings back Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after a lengthy ODI absence. Losing the captain to injury on the morning of the toss would have forced a late reshuffle of both the batting order and the leadership group, with vice-captain KL Rahul the logical stand-in.
For fantasy teams locking in a top-order pick before the toss, this update removes the biggest doubt hanging over India's XI. Gill's fitness had been the one open question in an otherwise settled batting lineup, and with Kotak's clearance, he remains a straightforward captaincy or vice-captaincy option at a ground where he already has a triple-figure ODI score on record.
Live scores and ball-by-ball updates from the series opener are available on SportGod's live matches page, with fantasy contests open in SportGod's free games ahead of the 2 PM IST start.
Gill's injury timeline and Kotak's press conference quote are verified against same-day reporting, current as of September 26, 2026.
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